If you get real winters (you know, snow to shovel, temperatures that drop below freezing), then gloves are a necessity on your runs to ward off frostbite. But even if you live in a temperate place like the Central Coast of California (don’t hate us!), gloves paired with a beanie and a run vest can add just the right amount of extra warmth on chilly winter mornings and nights.

If the temperature has really plummeted, you might need even more warmth than gloves can provide. That’s where mittens come in. Mittens can be even warmer than gloves because they trap your escaping body heat and warm the air around your fingers. Some brands even offer hybrid glove/mitten transformers that offer the warmth of mittens, with the utility of gloves. Here are a few of our favorite gloves and mittens for different weather conditions.

Intense wind: Manzella Silkweight Windstopper Gloves (Men’s/Women’s)

• A GORE 3-layer WINDSTOPPER shell keeps frigid gales off your fingers. Reflective grid pattern on the fingertips gives you better use of your hands and increases visibility.

Extreme cold:

(gloves) Brooks Wanganui Shelter Gloves

• A dense fill material on the back of these gloves backs a powerful thermal punch, and the soft lining is embedded with silver fibers that help hands maintain a consistent temperature.

(mittens) Saucony Ulti-Mitt

• This versatile accessory offers excellent protection against the cold with a pull-over mitt to trap heat. Water resistant exterior adds extra protection, and a USB_LED increases your visibility in low-light settings. Read more…

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The Garmin Forerunner 10 (MSRP $129.99) is the newest addition to the Garmin lineup. This sleek and simple GPS watch is a great choice for runners who enjoy their gadgets on the streamlined side, or for those who are new to GPS watches. The Forerunner 10 is available in standard (Black/Red) and small (Green & Pink) models to accommodate runners of different builds and sizes.

Here are a few of our favorite tech features of the FR 10:

GPS-enabled: Push-button GPS uses HotFix™ technology to keep the GPS signal strong even in dense, forested areas.

Workout History: Stores up to 7 workouts; upload to Garmin Connect Online after 7 runs to keep an up-to-date record of your training and view your routes

Screen Customization: Choose among 6 screen view options.

• Time/Distance
• Time/Current Pace
• Time/Calories
• Pace/Distance
• Pace/Calories
• Distance/Calories

Virtual Pacer: Stay on pace with alerts when you are ‘ahead,’ ‘behind’ or ‘on target’ for your pre-set pace goal.

PR’s: Automatically alerts and records fastest 5k, fastest mile and other milestones.

Run/Walk Alerts: Set interval timers for running and walking intervals.

Even with all of these features (and more), this watch is still very user friendly. We caught up with two RW staffers who are first-time GPS users to see what they thought of the FR 10. Here’s what they had to say:

“I was a little freaked out about not knowing how to use this watch, but I figured it out really quickly – I didn’t even look at the instructions. The GPS only takes about 10 seconds to load in the morning when I turn it on, and it seems very reliable.” – Christine

“It only took me about 10 minutes to figure out the features. It’s very straightforward. I’m very happy with the function and the display, and the GPS was reliable on the roads and the trails.” – Larry

A Comparison of the Forerunner 10 to the Forerunner 210

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A Few Key Features to Look for in a Headlamp

It’s late October, and many of you are already logging early am or post-work miles in the dark. If you’re planning to keep your runs going strong even though you have fewer daylight hours to work with, you’ll need some illumination, and a headlamp can be a great option. Read on to learn key features, and check the end of the post for some top picks.

How much light do you need?

Of course, a headlamp must have enough light for your activity and environment. And if your runs have you spending many hours in the dark, you want a light that will stay bright throughout.

Intensity – Lumens

While you may be more familiar with watts (a measurement of energy usage that appears on your bulbs at home), headlamp light is measured in lumens. Lumens measure the brightness of a light at its source, not the amount of energy it uses. A headlamp that maxes out at 40 or 50 lumens can offer plenty of light for a night run on city streets, while tackling trails in the deep woods could require a lamp that can produce 100+ lumens for adequate visibility.

Duration – Battery Life and Burn Time

The light output for most headlamps will gradually decrease as battery life decreases. But some headlamps are designed to provide steady light that only dims slightly over the duration of the battery life. These headlamps with ‘regulated light output’ offer the advantage of consistent lighting, but beware: the light will cut out abruptly when your batteries run out of juice. If you make sure to slot in a fresh set of batteries before heading out, you should be fine with either light type for at least 8-10 hours. Read more…

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Amphipod Vizlet LED Reflector and Swift-Clip Cap Light

If this were a trashy pop culture blog (we’re trying so hard to resist), this post would be all about being seen in the latest fashions as you strut your stuff in the swanky clubs frequented by Snooki/Kim Kardashian/insert latest D-lister here.

Instead, we’re going to focus on something that’s actually useful. We’re literally talking about how you can be seen better on your winter runs – and that means illumination. Amphipod, a leader in visibility gear and hydration products, recently introduced two pretty sweet illuminated doodads that can keep you safe in dark conditions.

Clip-On Reflectors
With the Amphipod Vizlet LED Reflectors 2-Pack, you can turn almost anything you’re wearing into a safety device. These lightweight reflectors clip onto shirt collars and sleeves, hats, hydration packs and other apparel or accessory pieces using a simple dual magnet design. The day-glo colors get you noticed, and the ultra-bright flashing LED light sends a clear signal to motorists that, “Hey, I’m runnin’ here!” Up the fun quotient by choosing the pink flower design, or just get the job done with an orange or yellow triangle shape. When the LED is kicked, it’s easy to amp up these reflectors again – just trade out the replaceable coin-style battery.

Run Cap LED Light
Dude, there’s a frog on your hat! But the Amphipod Swift-Clip Cap Light isn’t any ordinary frog – it’s a trusted buddy whose bright eyes help you see the road ahead clearly and give drivers a serious heads up. To make sure they’re paying attention, switch on the strobe mode. This is a particularly nice option when you’re already planning to wear a cap and would rather leave the headlamp at home (or on the store shelf). When your little amphibian friend starts running low on juice, power him back up with a replaceable coin-style battery. Something tells us this will be a friendship that lasts for years to come.

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Electrolytes are advertised on so many products these days – even your local 7-Eleven is chock full of ‘em. So what’s the story on electrolytes when it comes to running performance? Are you getting the right balance? How do you determine the electrolytes you need when training and racing?

Electrolytes Explained

First off, what are these magic “electrolytes”? A group of minerals crucial to your muscle function and proper hydration, electrolytes are involved in the transmission of electrical impulses that signal muscle contraction and relaxation. The electrolytes commonly utilized by the body are sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg), all commonly found in the foods we eat everyday.

Read more…

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New Balance Women's N4 HRM, Garmin 910XT w/HRM, Timex Easy Trainer HRM

Many runners gauge the intensity of their workout by how they feel, which can be a deceptive indicator of actual exertion. If you have specific training goals, heart rate training can help you successfully build a workout plan to accomplish those goals. Heart rate training is also a great option for the runner who would just like to know how hard their body is working on a given run.

Don’t rely on ‘perceived exertion’

A workout may feel easier or more difficult depending on a variety of factors. For example, if you’re tired, a long run might feel incredibly difficult, even if your body is not putting forth as much effort as you feel it is. Conversely, many athletes underestimate how much harder your body has to work to maintain a level temperature when running in hot conditions. Basing your workout on how your body feels can easily result in a lower – or higher – intensity workout that you had planned.

You’ve got the power!

Using a heart rate monitor gives you complete control over the intensity of each workout. Watching your heart rate will ensure that a high intensity day is as strenuous as you wanted it to be (it hurts so good!). Keeping an eye on what your ticker is doing will also let you ensure that an easy 8 really is easy, which can keep you from over training and getting injured.

How to get started with heart rate training

The first step to effective heart rate training is to calculate your maximum heart rate. Your max heart rate is the highest heart rate you can safely reach during exercise. To approximate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For example, if you’re 42 years old, then your max heart rate would be 178.

For challenging interval repeats, your HR should be at about 95-100% of your max heart rate. Tone it down to about 85-92% for a tempo run, and 65-75% for an easy run, or when you’re logging a very long run.

Selecting the appropriate heart rate monitor

Choosing the heart rate monitor that’s best for your needs depends on a variety of factors. The heart rate monitors on the market today range from über-simple devices that just measure your ticker’s BPM, to almost space-age mini computers that have GPS capabilities and can monitor your pace and track your workout progress over time.

Simple Monitors

• Timex Easy Trainer Heart Rate Monitor – A simple, affordable, and user-friendly model to help you manage your workouts.
• New Balance Women’s N4 Heart Rate Monitor – This popular model looks slick and provides zone training, basic timing, and a 9-run memory to help fine-tune and record your workouts.
• Garmin FR70 HRM – An HR monitor that offers heart rate zones and interval training workouts, this watch also gives the ability to upload and store your data online at Garmin Connect.

Advanced Monitors

• Polar RCX3 GPS w/HRM – This sleek watch makes it easy to obtain info on heart rate, along with pace and lap times when teamed with the separate GPS pod. You can also upload data to the Polar online site with the included USB transfer pod.
• Garmin Forerunner 910XT w/HRM – Get heart rate data, GPS capabilities, and workout tracking all in one device. The ability to record accurate elevation gain/loss, an accelerometer to measure swim stroke efficiency, and a 20-hour battery life all make this the ultimate multi-sport watch (note you won’t be able to get HRM data in the water).

Want more? Shop our complete collection of heart rate monitors.

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Saucony’s ‘Find Your Strong’ Project calls on runners to tap into their strength, share it with others, and grow through the process. That’s a message Running Warehouse can get behind. We want to hear your story, and we’ve got some great Saucony gear to give out too.

In your life, who or what has helped you ‘Find Your Strong,’ and how? Tell us below for a chance to win both:

• A Saucony Kinvara NMD Jacket
  (see Men’s / Women’s)
  
• A pair of Saucony Kinvara 3 Running Shoes
  (see Men’s / Women’s)

This contest is closed. Congratulations to our contest winners, Angie and Donald! Angie: You inspired us with your moving story about your husband and children. Donald: Seeing that example in your father and then passing on that same strong example to your children is so powerful. You’ve both helped the crew here at RW to find our strong. Thank you and enjoy your new gear!

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With cooler weather around the corner, we’re starting to look for creative ways to stay cozy on our runs. Hats and beanies will always have a special place in our hearts, but recently we’ve been running in the Buff.

Um… what? The temps drop and we say ‘forget clothes’? Not quite. The ‘Buff’ is perhaps the most versatile piece of running headwear on the market. It has an incredibly simple design (it’s basically a long tube of stretchy, moisture-wicking fabric), but it can morph into nearly any type of headwear you can imagine.

This little powerhouse accessory even comes in a High UV Protection version. There are at least 12 ways to wear it: from balaclava to headband to neck gaiter, the Buff will have you covered. Check out our complete Buff collection so you can try out the above styles yourself.

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Well hello, September, when did you sneak up on us? We’re not sure where fall came from this year, but we’re already starting to notice the changing light and brisker temperatures…and we couldn’t be happier! Early morning runs that finish up just as the sun rises, hot tea or a cuppa joe with a friend post-workout, and that vibrantly alive feeling we get from breathing the crisp autumnal air.

To celebrate one of our favorite seasons, Brooks is adding two new colors to their high visibility ‘Nightlife’ collection. This tried and true lineup includes everything from gloves and arm warmers to cozy mid-layers and jackets – all in bright high visibility colors that help you be seen by motorists in low light conditions. This season Brooks invited a few more colors to the party with a Hi-Viz Orange on the Men’s side and a Hi-Viz pink on the Women’s, so you can be seen and look great on the run and beyond.

• Shop Men’s Nightlife Items
• Shop Women’s Nightlife Items

Nightlife apparel has been one of our biggest sellers over the past few Fall/Winter seasons, and this collection no doubt helps runners be seen and be safe on darker days. The two new colors are sure to attract a lot of attention – the good kind, when it comes to safety – and also give you more choices for your running gear.

What’s your plan for staying safe on your runs as the days get shorter?

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The Nathan Fusion Belt System is as versatile as your training runs. Start with the Nathan Fusion Base Belt and select the belt system accessories that meet your needs. Carry everything from hydration to nutrition – even your smartphone! Nathan created a belt add-on for nearly every on-the-run need.  Each add-on has a comfortable neoprene backing for cushioning and to keep your essentials from bouncing as you run.

This contest is now closed. Stay tuned when we announce the winners here the week of September 17, and thank you to all who entered.

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